'Victory Day' declared public holiday in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 2010, 17:17 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka has declared Friday as a public holiday to celebrate the Victory Day event to mark the defeat of LTTE last year, according to a press release by the Government Information Department Thursday. Government offices and schools are to be closed down on Friday enabling public servants and teachers and students to attend the event.

The Victory Day commemoration is to be held Friday at the Galle Face Green with President Mahinda Rajapakse presiding and the Commanders of the three armed forces participating.

Meanwhile, several roads that lead to the venue of the commemoration event have been banned for traffic from Friday early morning till the event is over, security sources said.

The Victory Day commemoration earlier scheduled to be held on 18 May was postponed due to torrential rain with lightning in the south killing several civilians and displacing thousands of people.